Category: Growing

Visiting Hood River is one of my favorite day trips to make and with the Harvest Festival this past weekend it gave us the perfect excuse to make the trip, enjoy the festivities and have some delicious lunch at a local brewery.

It was lovely to see some amazing produce, beautiful and succulent looking. I came away determined to make something of our own plot at home. I was all set to look find the best garden tools for dealing without yard (GardenEaze is my favorite). But of course the urge to do it straight away was diverted by more of the lovely things to look at.

We were lucky enough to have some of the best Fall weather, cool & crisp but with beautiful sunshine.

The festival had ciders, cheeses, wines & beers for tasting as well as an arts an crafts area. I was happy we were able to pick up some new honey before the market seasons end as well as try a mead for the first time (I didn’t realize wine could be made from honey).

Then there was all the produce, the main reason I was excited to go, apples, pears and plenty of varieties of squash and even a few pumpkins if you were looking for them. It was wonderful to have all the varieties out for sampling to make sure you picked the perfect pear or apple for whatever recipe you were planning for or just for eating. The great thing about all the Fall produce is that holds up well when kept in a cool space, so if you want to buy a couple boxes you are likely to be able to have them last awhile.

If you haven’t had a chance to pick up some Fall fruits and vegetables yet and you have the time to make the drive out to Hood River, you won’t regret the trip. It is such a great town, with good restaurants and local breweries to try. Just head to any of the local farms to get plenty of produce or visit one of our local Farmers Markets that are open through the this last weekend of October (Vancouver’s Farmers Market & the Portland Farmers Market, just to name a couple). There are, of course, all the local farms that should still have a good supply as well, Bi-Zi Farms or any of the great places on Sauvie Island.

I am so excited to show you our new stock tank pond. Both hubby and I have been working really hard on it over the last few months and we have finally got it to a condition that I want to show you.

This is a photo of how this section of the garden looked in July of 2015.

April 2017

May 2017

Work began on this project in April of 2017. Below are photos of the area cleared and ready to begin the transformation. It was really hard work and we needed to buy a lot of new equipment. We found hometoolhelper.com to be an invaluable source of info.

This next group of photos was taken a few weeks into the project. The crescent moon shaped bed is complete. The main plants in this bed include: two boxwoods, two Rise N Shine roses and a Lindee rose. My muscle man has begun work on the patio. The mosaic pavers were created by my daughters and me.

In the next photos, the pathway around the pond is complete. The new patio is installed and ready for furniture. What a feeling of a accomplishment we all shared.

Finally, the pond is ready for water and plants. The mosaic urn is installed and the pump is working. Selecting aquatic plants and fish was so much fun.

This next series of photos was taken in early March of 2018. The plants in the pond have covered the surface of the water. The fish grew so fast, we could hardly believe it! The plants in the crescent moon shaped bed filled in and looked great.

Below is a photo taken a year after the pond project began, April of 2011.

In late April, a mirror was hung on the fence near the pond and a grazing ball was added to the crescent moon bed.

These toadstools make a delightful place to view the pond. The duck spewing water from his beak makes a lovely sound. I have added more potted plants to the back patio.

March 2018

April 2018

This next photo was taken after the lights were added to the outdoor dining room and the bottle tree was planted.